The New York Academy of Sciences, in partnership with the Cooley's Anemia Foundation, is planning a conference titled, Eighth Cooley's Anemia Symposium, to be held from March 17 to March 19, 2005 in Orlando, FL. It is being organized by Elliott Vichinsky, Director, Hematology/Oncology at the Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, CA. This is the eighth international conference that the Academy and the Cooley's Anemia Foundation are co-organizing on the subject. The last symposium was held in 1997. The two organizations have held a conference on the subject every 5 to 8 years dating over the past forty or so years. The published proceedings from these meetings provide a rich history of the scientific advancements that have occurred in the field. The goal of the Eighth Cooley's Anemia Symposium is the presentation and dissemination of current findings and the setting of future directions regarding basic and clinical research in thalassemia. The program will address recent advances in: 1) natural history of thalassemia world-wide; 2) gene regulation and gene therapy; 3) mechanisms of cell injury of iron overload in thalassemia; 4) development and therapy of iron chelators; 5) stem cell transplantation; 6) new therapies for thalassemia; 7) the adult thalassemia patient; and 8) non-invasive iron measurements. The symposium will integrate basic science and clinical research so that both bench researchers and clinicians can develop a mutual understanding of recent progress in thalassemia. Conference attendees should achieve an understanding of the molecular biology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical care and psychosocial management of thalassemic disorders. A combination of keynote addresses, lectures, workshops, panel discussions, and poster presentations will provide a comprehensive overview of progress in the understanding and treatment of thalassemia. We anticipate that the conference will attract wide participation among senior investigators, postdoctorate fellows, and industry scientists working in the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, hematology, bone marrow & stem cell transplantation, epidemiology, iron biochemistry & chelation, and transfusion medicine.